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FAQs: Nine things you must know about the govt order on lockdown 2.0
The government is kick-starting certain sectors to aid farmers and daily wage labourers whose livelihood has been badly affected due to the restrictions.
The government released guidelines on the second phase of the nationwide lockdown on Wednesday, aiming to consolidate what it called gains in the first phase while also kick-starting certain sectors to aid farmers and daily wage labourers whose livelihood has been badly affected due to the restrictions.
What does the second phase of the lockdown look like?
Pretty much the same in terms of restrictions on movement and social gathering. The ban on commercial air and rail travel as well as travel by road continues. Educational and training institutions will remain closed. Citizens are prohibited from engaging in industrial and commercial activities, and hospitality services. All cinema halls, shopping complexes, theatres, and religious places/places of worship will be closed. Social, political and religious gatherings are banned.
Has the government tightened restrictions?
The fresh government order says “very strong containment measures” will be implemented in districts that have emerged as hotspots (designated by states/UTs) of Covid-19 infections. Only essential services will be permitted in these zones, while strict perimeter control and restrictions on movement will be enforced.
Certain activities in the rest of the country will get some relaxations from April 20.
What are these relaxations and what are they aimed at?
The government says the revised guidelines are aimed at operating those sectors of the economy that are critical from the perspective of rural development, agriculture sector and daily wage workers. The three-week lockdown imposed on March 25, and then extended by 19 more days till May 3, is expected to take a big toll on the economy.
What are the specifics?
Farming operations, including procurement of agricultural products; agriculture marketing through notified mandis and direct and decentralised marketing; manufacture, distribution and retail of fertilizers, pesticides and seeds; activities of marine and inland fisheries; animal husbandry activities, including the supply chain of milk, milk products, poultry and live-stock farming; and tea, coffee and rubber plantations are allowed.
Industries operating in rural areas, including food processing industries; construction of roads, irrigation projects, buildings and industrial projects in rural areas; Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) projects; and operation of rural Common Service Centres (CSCs) too have got the green light.
Are there any more exemptions?
Yes, manufacturing and other industrial establishments with access control are permitted in SEZs (special economic zones), EoU (export-oriented units), industrial estates and industrial townships.
Manufacture of IT hardware and of essential goods and packaging too feature in the list. So does coal, mineral and oil production. Transportation of goods, without any distinction of essential or non-essential items, is allowed.
What about banks?
All important components of the financial sector, such as the Reserve Bank of India, banks, ATMs, capital and debt markets as notified by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) and insurance companies will be functional.
The government has also identified digital economy as an important factor for national growth. E-commerce operations, operations of information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services, data and call centres for government activities, and online teaching and distance learning are all allowed.
Are there any riders?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his speech on Tuesday that all exemptions are conditional and can be rolled back if a Covid-19 case is reported of resurfaces in the area concerned.
In the guidelines issued on Wednesday, the government said the select industrial activities are allowed to resume with adequate safeguards and mandatory standard operating protocols (SOPs).
Essential services will continue like they have been. Won’t they?
The revised guidelines permit all health services and the social sector to remain functional; public utilities will function without any hindrance; the supply chain of essential goods will operate; and important offices of the Centre, state governments and local bodies will remain open.
Is there anything else that I need to know?
Yes, the government order mentions national guidelines — such as mandatory masks or face covers at workplaces and in public places, strong hygiene and health care measures such as using sanitisers, opting for staggered shifts, and imposing fines for spitting, among others — that citizens need to follow. An individual violating the guidelines will face penal action.
